First Kiss
by Minerva77
Summary: A young Bella receives her first kiss from Edward, while with her family on a camping trip at the age of thirteen. After the kiss, they become inseparable sweethearts that spend the summer falling in young love for the very first time. As their trip was nearing a close, she wakes to find that her sweetheart had been whisked away throughout the night. . .


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_**One Shot: First Kiss**_

_**Author : Minerva77**_

_**Rating : M**_

_**Pairing : Edward and Bella**_

_**Category: Twilight**_

_**Genre: Romance/Adventure**_

_**Banner Made By : Ro Nordmann & Minerva77**_

_**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. As the author and with the permission of this site, I am only using the character names in my own original writing. Other than the names, I own the personalities, plot, story-line and, of course, the mistakes.**_

_**Summary:**_

_A young Bella receives her first kiss from Edward, while with her family on a camping trip at the age of thirteen. After the kiss, they become inseparable sweethearts that spend the summer falling in young love for the very first time. As their trip was nearing a close, she wakes to find that her sweetheart had been whisked away throughout the night. Left with no contact information, she only had her memories of the green-eyed boy that, not only, gave her, her first kiss, but forever stole her heart._

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_**.**_

_**.**_

_**First Kiss**_

_"Before we belonged to anyone else, we were each other's." _

_._

_._

_._

His piercing green eyes locked with mine, my entire body trembled under his gaze. I could see both fear and excitement staring back at me, mimicking my very same feelings.

"Kiss her! Kiss her!" The others chanted, making the both of us all that more nervous.

With a look of panic written both on his face and in his mesmerizing emerald-green eyes, Edward Cullen moved closer, causing me to momentarily hold my breath.

I closely watched as his eyes went wide, he inhaled deeply and then his tongue darted out, sweeping over his lips.

_This is it. This is really happening. _

"Jesus Christ, Edward, kiss her already." Edward's older brother, Emmett smirked. "You better hurry, mom could come back at any minute."

"I am." Edward, nervously snapped at his older brother.

With our faces now only inches apart, I could feel Edward's cool popsicle breath on my face.

Swallowing thickly, I anxiously closed my eyes and before I knew it, I felt his chilled lips on mine.

_Orange flavor popsicle. _

Neither of us had a clue as to what we were doing, so we stood frozen with our lips puckered while the others cheered.

Placing his right hand on my waist, Edward started moving his lips and I mirrored his movements.

I placed my hands on his shoulders and without even realizing it, I slightly parted my lips.

I felt Edward's body stiffen with fear before he pulled back, breaking our wonderful kiss.

My young heart was racing as I found myself lost in his bright eyes, waiting for a response.

Thoughts of being a bad kisser or perhaps doing it wrong started filling my mind as I restlessly bit down hard on my bottom lip.

Finally, Edward's lips curved up into the most perfect crooked grin I had ever seen.

"That was so awesome."

I smiled at the green-eyed boy standing in front of me and without fear, I kissed him again... and again and again and again.

Something changed inside of me that day, but being only thirteen-years-old, I had no idea what.

The only thing my young heart knew was that I felt like I was on top of the world and I was utterly and instantly smitten by young Edward.

_**.**_

_**. . .**_

_**.**_

My name is Isabella Marie Swan, I was born and raised in a beautiful small town hidden on a back road in Knoxville, Tennessee, called Rider's Creek.

My daddy, Charlie Swan, owned one of the most successful construction companies in Tennessee and my mama, Renee, was a homemaker that enjoyed giving horseback riding lessons in her spare time.

Being the only child, I was my mama's girl and my daddy's world. My parents meant everything to me and they never, not even once, failed in showing me that I was loved.

My daddy had worked most of his life to accomplish what he had, but because of his hard work, it left little to no time at all for his family. What little time he did find, he tried very hard to make it the best for mama and me.

The summer of two-thousand and one, he vowed to give mama and I the best vacation we had ever had. He bought a RV and we headed out to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, where we planned to spend that entire summer.

At first , I rebelled, not wanting to leave my friends for the entire summer, but it helped in knowing that, at least, my best friend would be tagging along.

Jacob Black.

Although I was slightly older than Jake and we fought like cats and dogs, I still considered him my best friend because his dad and mine were best friends.

In some ways, it was like he was my little brother.

It was the summer of two-thousand and one, I was thirteen-years-old, caught somewhere between being a woman and yet a child.

I hadn't played with my dolls since I was twelve, so technically, I considered myself a woman; even if my mama would wholly disagree.

The summer was creeping by, however, every day was a new and exciting gamble for Jake and I. We hiked the Tennessee trails, went swimming every single day, rain or shine, in the crystal clear waters.

I loved standing on the mountain's edge and overlooking the valleys below. I was up so high, I could almost smell the sunshine that peeked through the evergreen trees below.

Jake and I hunted crawdads in the creeks during the day and fished, side by side, with our dads during the night. We roasted marshmallows by the campfire and shared ghost stories so scary that it was sometimes hard to fall asleep.

You name it, we done it; climbed trees, rode bicycles, built forts, water battles and mud fights. I think it was safe to say that Jake and I pretty much looked like little orphans for the most part of that summer.

With only one month of our summer vacation left, a new RV pulled into the spot right next to ours.

I'll never forget that day, it was thundering and lightening and raining so hard that mama made Jake and I stay inside.

We were lying on my top bunk, watching our new neighbors unload their things in the down pour, with the help of our parents. They seemed like a typical all American family - mother, father, two sons and a daughter.

Jake and I giggled when we saw the young, pixie-like princess slip in her high heels and tumble to the wet ground. The young girl appeared to be very flamboyant, prissy, perhaps snobbish. The city girl type that hated to get their hands dirty.

"Isabella Marie Swan!" My mama's voice called. "Get your dirty shoes off of that bed."

"Sorry, Mama." I snickered toward Jake while kicking off my shoes from top bunk, causing them to make a loud thump when they hit the floor.

"You call yourself an adult, but you sure don't act like one." She chastened, picking the tennis shoes up and placing them by the door.

By the time the thunder storm passed, Jake and I were bored to tears at having to play board games inside, so we wasted no time jumping on our bikes and taking off.

We spent the remainder of that evening out and about, exploring the trails, amazed by the thick fog brought on by the storm and seeing who could splash mud the highest on our bikes with the new found mud puddles made by the heavy rain.

When the sky began darkening, we knew it was time to head back to camp.

"Bella." Mama called for me as soon as I laid my bike down.

"Yes." I peeked around the corner of our RV to find her talking to the young pixie and her mother.

_Great. _

The mother/daughter duo was breathtakingly beautiful. They looked really rich, solely judging by their clothes and fancy jewelry.

The older woman had strawberry-red hair, reminded me a lot of Miss Reba McEntire. But more than her noticeable locks, she had the most amazing, sparkling green eyes. The younger girl had short, black layers of hair sticking up in every direction on her head with eyes as blue as the southern sky.

They looked nothing alike, but at the same time, they were both so oddly beautiful, they seemed to fit.

"Come here, Bella, I want you to meet our new neighbors."

I looked like a dirty ole' pig in my mud stained bluejeans and old Aerosmith t-shirt. Not to mention, the clumps of mud that hang from my stringy brown hair.

"Later." I simply stated.

"Now." I knew my mother meant business.

Dropping my head with a sigh, I went to stand beside of her.

"This is Esme and her daughter Alice." She informed me. "Say hello."

"Hello." I greeted them, hoping I could just disappear because of my messy appearance.

"Hello, Isabella, it's very nice to meet you. Your mother has told us a lot about you." Esme smiled down at me.

I looked up at my mama and back to Esme, releasing my lip from my teeth. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you too."

Looking back up at mama again, I frowned. "May I go play with Jake now?"

"Bella, since you and Alice are the same age, Esme and I thought that maybe you two could be friends?" Mama raised her brow in questioning.

"Why?" I blurted out, making my mama look at me with a warning glare.

I had a very bad habit of saying whatever came to mind and, of course, it usually got me into a lot of trouble. But it didn't that day, as I heeded to my mama's warnings and invited Alice to hang out with me and Jake.

Alice and I spent the rest of the evening talking and getting to know one another, while Jake spent the most part nodding and smiling, completely in awe of young Alice.

I unfairly misjudged Alice Cullen, she wasn't one bit snobby. She was actually a very nice girl. And although, Alice and I were daylight and dark, we quickly became friends.

She and her family were from Vermont. Her father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, had taken a month off from work to spend time with his family.

It was her brothers that had insisted on the family taking a camping trip. Emmett, fifteen-years-old and Edward, fourteen-years-old.

Everything worked out perfect over the next few days as Alice, Jake and I spent much of our time together.

I never really seen Alice's brothers the first couple of days, they stayed gone, doing their own thing, I just figured they were too cool to hang with us youngsters.

It wasn't until one hot summer day, Alice, Jake and I were lying around grumbling and complaining over the heat, when my dad suggested that we go swimming. We ran as fast as we could, gathering our swimming gear and making our way to the small river just below the campsite.

Esme and Mama would take turns checking on us every hour or so.

While Alice, Jake and I where splashing around in the cool water, Emmett and Edward emerged from the well-beaten path to join us.

Both of Alice's brothers where handsome young boys. Emmett was, of course, the tallest and his curly, coal-black hair that shined in the sunlight. He had big blue eyes and the cutest set of dimples. But it was Edward that I found to be the cutest. He was nothing like his siblings. His hair was a reddish-brownish color, more like Esme's, only more brown than red, and his emerald-green eyes were so bright, they almost looked fake. His boyish, crooked grin was both pleasant and most fitting.

I liked both of Alice's brothers, but it was Edward that had caught my eye and made my tummy feel like it was infested with butterflies.

The five of us had so much fun horse-playing and playing tag in the waist deep waters. No matter who was it during tag, Edward would chase me, causing me to squeal out in fits of giggles every time that he caught me.

When he was near me, my heart would speed up and my mouth would go as dry as cotton. I liked him a lot, so, of course, I said yes when he sent Alice to ask me if I'd be his girlfriend.

I guess one could say that I was completely head over heels for Edward.

As the days passed, I would sneak away from Jake, leaving him on Alice, so that I could be alone with Edward.

Now my mama called what Edward and I shared, "_puppy love_", but it sure felt like more than puppy love to me; the only thing that mattered in my young life was being near him. Edward was my first thought when I would awake each morning and the very last thought before drifting off to sleep at night. Shoot, I even thought of Edward when I was with Edward.

He and I became inseparable and I was the happiest girl in the world.

Our parents would "aww" every time they saw us holding hands, embarrassing the both of us, making us stay out of their view as much as possible.

Although Edward and I had to spend a lot of time with Emmett, Alice and Jake, he and I would try to sneak away every chance we got; especially once we tasted of our first kiss.

"Do you think they saw us?" Edward whispered as we dunked down behind the bushes on the edge of the woods.

"Bella!" Jake and Alice called out in union, as they passed by on their bikes.

"I don't think so." I whispered back, softly giggling at the handsome young boy that sat on his knees over from me.

Placing his hand on mine, we entwined our fingers together as he slowly parted his lips and moved his face closer to mine.

Reaching up with my free hand, I placed it on Edward's shoulder and brought my lips to his.

Edward and I had gotten pretty good at kissing, every moment we were alone, we couldn't keep our hands nor or lips off of one another.

With every kiss we shared, it would make my tummy knot with butterflies, but it was the best and most wonderful feeling in the whole wide world.

"Here they are!" Emmett started shaking with laughter. "They're making out again."

"I wanna see. I wanna see." I heard Jake's scruffy voice approaching.

I could feel the heat on my cheeks arising, as one by one, Emmett, Jake and Alice peeked through the bushes in on us.

"Emmett, sometimes you can be so stupid." Edward shook his head and pulled me by the hand, helping me up.

"Let's go and leave the love birds alone." Emmett gestured to Alice and Jake.

Edward and I, hand in hand, started making our way back to the trail when he paused, looking back at me.

"I don't care who sees us kissing." He grinned from ear to ear. "I like kissing you, Bella Swan."

"I like kissing you too, Edward Cullen." His gracious words changed the entire atmosphere, as we both stood bold and started sharing quick pecks and lots of laughter.

_Maybe if we kiss enough in front of them, they'll tire of seeing us. _

Every morning I was usually the first one to wake up, among all of the other children. I would shower and make sure my hair was perfect before stepping one foot outside of that camper - gone were those days of playing in mud and looking like a orphan.

By the time I would finish getting ready, Edward was usually waiting for me near the picnic table on our campsite. With disheveled hair and shirtless, he wore only shorts and his shoes, and yet, he was the most gorgeous thing I had ever laid my eyes on.

"So what are we going to do today?" He asked me, as I approached him.

"Doesn't matter to me." I answered, flashing him my best smile.

And it didn't matter, as long as I was with him, I was as happy as a kid in a candy store.

"Come on." He stood, holding his hand out for me and I gladly took it.

Together we walked through the open field, making our way to the dirt road that lead to the riverbank where we shared our first kiss.

"Do you know how to skip rocks across the water?" He asked and I shook my head.

"Come here, I'll teach you." He handed me a flat rock when I walked closer to him.

"Hold it like this." Standing behind me, he put his hand over mine, angling them just right.

"Then pull back and try to make the rock spin." He pulled our arms back.

I released the rock and it simply dropped into the water a few feet from the shore.

Edward chuckled and picked up another flat rock, repeating his movements from before.

"This time, throw it harder. You need more speed." He grinned, before giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and stepping back to give me space.

I smiled at him, twisting my upper body to the side and then releasing the rock with more speed this time.

It skipped five times over the crystal water before sinking.

"I did it!" I squealed, turning and jumping into Edward's arms.

"You did." He agreed and kissed me again.

"Will you be my girlfriend forever?" Edward asked, after breaking our kiss. "Because I love you."

"Yes. I don't ever wanna kiss anyone but you." I shyly admitted. "Because I love you too."

We made promises of never loving anyone but one another and no matter were life would take us, we vowed that we would get married when we grew up.

Edward and I stood on that riverbank kissing for ten minutes or longer before we heard Alice and Jake approaching.

_**. . .**_

I gave my small thirteen-year-old body a long stretch before opening my eyes to greet the sunshine that was freely dancing through every window of the RV.

Edward's sweet kisses where the first thing to enter my mind, making me smile as bright as the sun, before I rolled over to have a peek out the window.

I had gotten into the habit of doing that every morning, to see if Edward was awake.

When I looked out of the window, there was nothing there. The Cullen's RV, along with all of their belongings were gone.

I jumped down from top bunk and ran outside, with my heart pounding like a drum.

My parents, along with Billy, where sitting by a soft fire having their morning cup of coffee.

Walking over to my mama, I asked her where the Cullen family had went.

"Sweetie, late last night, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen had to pack up and leave." She gave me a smile of sympathy.

"Why?" I asked in a panicked voice as tears starting stinging my eyes.

"Dr. Cullen's mother has fallen ill, so they had to head back to Vermont," she sadly explained.

I fought hard, to hold back the tears while in front of my parents and Billy. However, once I was back inside the RV, I climbed into bed and buried my face into the pillow, allowing my sobs of sadness to overtake me.

I missed Edward so much that my heart was literally aching.

"Bella." My mama's voice caused me to look up.

"Honey, are you okay?" She patted my back.

"I miss him, Mama," I said in between sobs. "I will miss all of them, but I miss him so much."

"Oh baby." She continued to pat my back. "It's puppy love, you'll forget all about Edward Cullen before you know it."

"No I wont!" I shouted at her, causing her to raise her brow in warning. "I'm sorry, Mama, but I won't ever forget him and I will always miss him."

"I know, baby." She continued in trying to comfort me.

But it was no use, for my young heart was shattered and all I could see in my mind was glistening green eyes and that perfect crooked grin that I had grown to love so much.

After a couple of days of doodling "_Bella loves Edward, Forever_" all over my notebook and every sheet of paper inside. I slowly bounced back and started spending time with Jake again. But it wasn't the same, I felt so lonely, like part of me was missing.

It was killing my daddy to see me so unhappy, he tried everything to make me smile again, he even bought my a new puppy, but nothing could heal the void I felt from missing Edward.

_**. . . **_

"Why are you always so sad now?" Jake asked as we sat on the riverbank tossing rocks into the river.

"I miss Edward." I confirmed to my big brown-eyed best friend.

"If ya want." He paused, skipping a rock over the water. "I'll be your boyfriend."

I looked over, smiling and shaking my head at how clueless my young friend was.

"But no kissing." He made a face of disgust. "That's gross."

I spent the rest of my vacation missing Edward. When the summer came to a close, we packed up our RV and headed back to Knoxville, where we picked up with our lives as before.

I returned to school in the fall, where I was reunited with my old friends, but I thought about Edward every single day. Wondering were he was, if he was enjoying the new school year... _how many young girls were flirting with him? - Oh God. _

As my childhood quickly passed by, I suppose in ways, my mama was right, I did get over the green-eyed boy that stole my heart that summer, but I never did forget him.

Time made the pain of missing him easier, but it never fully went away. Every time a new romantic film would hit the big screen or some new love song would play on the radio, my mind would drift back to hot summer days and sweet kisses.

By the time I turned sixteen, my thoughts of Edward had slowly but surely drifted away like leaves in the fall, but from time to time, not too often, I would remember those green eyes and that crooked smile and it would make my heart brightly smile for a moment.

I started dating and experiencing the crazy life as a teenager. I had a few good relationships and a few bad romances with a couple of guys that I had went to school with. But none where successful enough to capture my heart the way ole' bright eyes had captured it in the summer of two-thousand and one.

But it was fun dating, making out and doing teenage things. It wasn't like I lived out my entire life lost in love.

Jake and I grew even closer over the years, he was like my baby brother and I was always getting him into trouble because I was older.

He often followed me around in my quests to find new adventures.

Once when I was seventeen, I talked Jake into skipping school and riding to Gatlinburg with me, for no specific reason. When we got caught, my dad grounded me for a month, and needless to say Billy kept Jake away from me for a while, calling me a bad influence.

I wasn't a bad influence, I was just spur of the moment.

Who hasn't ditched school at least once in their lifetime?

After graduating high school, I enrolled into the University of Tennessee, only to drop out after the first year, being undecided about everything in my life at that point. I worked several odd jobs, all while taking classes here and there on different things, everything from cooking and sewing to dancing and construction management training.

My dad was the one that pushed me into construction management training when I went to work for him at his company, but that job didn't last long, for I quit it to work at the local library.

By the age of twenty-three, I had worked more jobs than most people had in their whole lives.

It wasn't that I wasn't responsible or that I couldn't handle commitment. I just sorta felt restless, always wanting more. Ready, willing and able to try new things.

I loved challenging myself and even when I knew it could possibly end in disaster, I still sought adventure.

There was something inside of me, always yearning for more, pushing me to try new things.

I was young and I had no idea what I wanted, except for my thirst for adventure.

It was during a trip to a local mall, I saw a random man walk by with "_I heart NY_" on his t-shirt, thoughts of the Big Apple starting filling my head.

After a few months of playing around with the idea of maybe one day moving there, I found myself asking, why not? And before I knew it, I was saving moving and making plans.

I had been saving money since high school anyway, I called it "The Big Adventure Fund." And although, I had dipped into it a time or two, I still had a fair amount, considering the fact that I had been saving since I was teenager.

Now all I had to do was convince my sweet daddy to let me dip into that college fund that he had been saving since before I was born.

I'll never forget the day I asked my sweet daddy either.

_"YOU WHAT!" Dad flung his news paper across the room and jumped outta his chair. "Have you lost your mind, Isabella Marie Swan?"_

_"I wanna live in New York." My argument was really quite simple._

_"Why?" He started pacing the floor and roughly rubbing his forehead. "Where do you come up with all of these crazy ideas?" He briefly paused. "You're driving me crazy."_

_"It's not that crazy of an idea, dad." I rolled my eyes._

_"Renee!" He darted to the kitchen door, looking back and forth from mama in the kitchen to me sitting in the living room. "Are you hearing this? Your only daughter wants to move to New York, alone." He started laughing, "And she wants me to give her the money out of her college fund to get started... alone."_

_"Not all of it, Charlie," Mama said in a soft voice as she walked passed him, joining me on the sofa._

_Little did daddy know, I had already talked to mama and she was somewhat on my side. She surely understood me a lot more than he did._

_"You already knew about this?" Daddy seethed at mama, his eyes boring into hers._

_"Well." She paused biting down on her lip._

_That was exactly where I got that from._

_"Renee, my baby girl isn't moving all the way to New York." He stood with his head held high and his arms firmly crossed over his chest. "Alone." He added._

_"She's twenty-three-years old, Charlie." She walked over and placed her hands on his arms. "Technically, we can't stop her."_

_"W-w-hy New York?" Dad stuttered his question._

_"Because daddy." I frowned. "I just want to try it. If I don't like it, I can always come back home."_

_He looked over at me, shaking his head. "What if you're mugged or raped... or worse?" He released a long, hard breath. "Do you know how dangerous it is in New York?"_

_"I'm a big girl, Daddy." I huffed. "I can take care of myself."_

_He never replied back, he only dropped his head and slowly started pacing the floor in silence as mama and I sat watching him._

_"What about college?" His voice finally broke the awkward silence._

_"There are schools in New York, Dad." I reminded him. "When I'm ready and I figure out what I want to do, I can enroll in college there. Or maybe come back home and go back to the University of Tennessee."_

_He never looked up at me as I spoke, he only continued to pace back and forth, before grabbing his jacket. "I need a beer." He opened the door and was gone_.

_"I wish daddy could be more understanding, like you." I frowned, looking up at mama._

_"Oh Sweetie, it's not that I understand or even except this decision." She gently shook her head. "It's just that I know once you get something in your head, there really is no stopping you, until you get it outta your system."_

_When dad came back later that night, he and I talked for over an hour before he finally agreed to me moving to New York._

_"I think this is, by far, the craziest and the most dangerous thing you've ever attempted, Bells." He looked over at me. "But your mama is right, you are twenty-three-years old now. And although I wish I could stop you, I know that I can't and I'll be damned if I let you move that far away without knowing you'll have everything you need."_

_I smiled, stepping over and hugging dad tightly around the waist. "Thank you, Daddy."_

_"I hate this." He rested his chin on top of my head and hugged me tight._

_"I know." I agreed with him._

**_. . . _**

One of the hardest things I had ever done in my life - watching Charlie Swan cry at the airport. Normally my daddy was the strong one, the backbone of our little family. I had only witnessed him cry twice in my whole life, once when Grandma Swan passed away and once when I was thirteen and had gotten my first broken heart.

I was seated inside the plane and suddenly my stomach felt weak, not because I was afraid of flying, but rather because sometimes I even amazed myself at the risks I was always willing to take.

_**. . . **_

The orchestral sounds of horns honking, people chattering and footsteps hitting the pavement let me know that New York and Knoxville were nothing alike, but that was okay.

_I can handle this_. I mused, walking down the street, taking in the towering skyscrapers all around and a city that felt alive; and a small-town girl from Knoxville Tennessee looking for her next adventure.

My first day in New York was busy and very exhausting. I didn't have much to unpack, for the apartment I had found came furnished, save a few small things that I would pick up later in the week.

I spent most of my first week looking for work and getting familiar with my neighborhood.

Week two was a whole lot easier, for my parents came to visit for a few days. We spent the entire visit sightseeing, I'm pretty sure that daddy left liking New York a lot more than when he first arrived. However, it didn't stop him from begging his only daughter to return home with him.

After checking through every help wanted add that I could find for well over three weeks, I finally applied for a job at a local construction company, as a Construction Manager. No college degrees were required and I knew I could do it, as I did work for my dad, doing basically the same things that would be required for this job.

I'd be responsible for keeping the team and projects organized and for most of the scheduling coordination and hiring contractors.

When I first applied for the job, the boss, Mike Newton, didn't take me very seriously and that kinda pissed me off. So it was with great pleasure when I shared the fact that I had worked in this area before and after dropping out of college, I had taken additional classroom training in this field, Mike changed his mind real quick. He, not only, hired me on the spot as manager with an annual income of eighty-five thousand a year, he promoted me to overseeing his high profile projects, before I left his office.

In one hour's time, my expected yearly income went from eighty-five thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand.

_I think this city likes me. And a big thank you dear ole' dad for pushing me into the training classes._

I was mind-boggled and overwhelmed with excitement for landing that job, I called my parents and told them the minute I left Mr. Newton's office.

I learned three things really quick living in New York. First, in a city of millions, it sure did get lonely at times. Second, you could order takeout for just about anything and third, always pack tennis shoes because walking the streets in heels was a killer to one's feet.

I became friends with my neighbor, Angela, who lived straight across the hall from me. She and I would hang out at a local cafe from time to time. But Angela had a very busy life with her boyfriend, Tyler, work and college. So when it got too lonely, I would call Jake and talk for hours.

I missed my best friend so much and it made things seem less lonely when hearing his voice.

Sometimes, I would get so homesick for Tennessee, I almost regretted my decision to move to New York. But as time lingered on, I slowly adjusted to my new life.

Something just kept telling me, that this was were I belonged. My heart was beginning to feel right at home in New York and with each passing day I was growing to love it more and more.

As the weeks passed by, I made a couple of friends at work. The only other female on the job was a chick named Jessica. She was super friendly to my face, but I got the feeling that she was one of those that was only your friend while face to face. But I ignored her for the most part and concentrated solely on my new job.

Another friend that I made at work was a guy by the name of Jasper. He was a great guy, always smiling and whistling some 90's rock tune -_my_ _kind of music_ . He was the type of guy that just made you feel at ease, calm.

Jasper and I had lunch in the break room a few times. I learned that he was married to a lady named Alley and together they had twin daughters, Jasmine and oddly enough, Isabella. They called their one-year-old tots, Jazzy and Izzy.

It wasn't until I walked into Jasper's office one Friday afternoon to discuss a contract, that the framed picture of his family sat on his desk, caught my attention.

"Her eyes." I murmured, staring down at the framed photograph.

"Yes, she has the most amazing blue eyes that I have ever seen." Jasper interjected with a smile of pride.

"No." I whispered. "I mean yes, her eyes are lovely. But they look so familiar."

Memories of my childhood friend, Alice came flooding back.

_Alice... Edward's sister._

"Jasper is your wife from Vermont?" I asked, still staring at the short, blacked haired woman behind the glass.

"Yes she is." He cocked his head, clearly confused.

"Alice Cullen?" I added.

"Okay Bella, you're freaking me out here." He raised his eyebrow and got up from his desk.

"Oh My God, Jasper, I know your wife and her entire family, her mother Esme, her father Dr. Cullen and her two brothers Emmett and Edward."

_My sweet green-eyed boy that gave me my very first kiss._

Jasper and I continued to talk about the Cullen's. I filled him in on how I knew them and why I never forgot them. And he informed me on how they were all doing.

According to Jasper, the entire family had moved to New York not long after Dr. Cullen's mother had passed away in two-thousand and one.

He told me that Edward had graduated college and was currently in the process of opening his own nightclub.

Emmett was following in his father's footsteps of becoming a doctor and was dating a woman named Rosalie that was also studying to becoming a doctor.

It was hard to imagine such a jokester as Emmett becoming a doctor.

Jasper informed me that he met Alice on rainy day, when she slipped on the sidewalk in her four-inch heels, landing at his feet.

I chuckled at his words in remembering the very first time I had ever seen her, she was wearing heels as she stumbled to the ground.

"Alice would probably love to see you." Jasper pulled his cellphone from his jacket.

"I'd say that the Cullen's have long forgotten me by now." I disagreed, shaking my head.

_Would they remember me?_

_Would Edward remember me?_

"We shall see." He dialed the numbers as he sat the phone on his desk, hitting speaker.

"Hello," Alice answered.

"Hi baby." Jasper greeted her. "Do you remember going camping as a child, with your family, in Tennessee?"

"Yes. But how did you know about that?" Her voice was confused.

"What would you say if I told you that Isabella Swan is standing in my office, right now?" He grinned.

I stood with my arms folded over my chest, chewing on my thumb nail, wondering if Alice would remember me.

It took her a minute but she finally spoke, "Bella?" She giggled. "No way."

"Yes way." He chuckled. "Say hello, you're on speaker and Bella is standing right here."

"Bella Swan?" She asked.

"Yes." I confirmed. "Hello, Alice."

"Oh my God, this is so amazing. I can't believe this is happening. Bella, how long has it been? Ten, Eleven years?"

She spoke with such speed, it had my mind swimming, all while trying to do the math in my head.

"Ten years, I think." I answered.

"It's such a small world." She paused. "Bella, would you like to have dinner with me and Jasper this evening?"

"That sounds great." I couldn't stop grinning as memories of our childhood played in my head. "Thank you."

The thoughts of seeing Alice again was beyond exciting.

"You're welcome." She responded. "I'll call Jasper back with all of the details."

"Sounds like a plan." I told her. "I can't wait."

"Me either." She chimed, with the same giggle she had as a child.

I left Jasper to his phone call when Alice started talking about the girls and hurried back to my office to finish up for the day.

Memories of the Cullen's had me wearing a smile, pretty much throughout the rest of the day, especially memories of one green-eyed boy in particular.

I wondered if he was married by now, surely Jasper would have said so. But even if he wasn't that still didn't mean anything, he could be in a relationship or maybe he had all together forgotten me.

One thing was for sure, I hadn't forgotten him.

While I was away from my desk, fetching a soda, Jasper left a note on my desk with all of the information that I needed to meet him and Alice.

I tucked it into my bag as I collected my belongings to head home and get ready for dinner.

Later that evening, while in the cab to the restaurant, all I could think about was Edward.

There was a part of me that felt silly and kept reminding myself that what Edward and I shared was nothing more than a childhood crush.

_We were only kids and besides, if the man Edward is half as good looking as the boy Edward, I'd say some lucky lady has already snatched him up... or maybe his looks changed entirely, maybe he lost his good looks; not even possible._

_And another good point, I'm not here to find love, I'm here to find adventure, perhaps myself. _

To spite the reasons I gave myself for not wanting to feel attracted to Edward and although ten long years had passed us by, just the mentioning of his name or the thoughts of his lips on mine, made me feel as nervous as that day standing on the riverbank.

It was so strange how those old memories still had such an effect on me.

I took a deep breath and paid the cab driver in hopes that my little black dress and heels would be fancy enough for the restaurant that Alice had chosen.

Stepping inside, I informed the hostess of whom I was meeting and she had a waiter to show me to the table.

Alice sat chatting with Jasper upon my arrival when she looked up, a quiet squeal escaped her lips as she quickly used her hand to cover her mouth.

Jumping to her feet, she wasted no time embracing me into a hug.

"It's so wonderful to see you after all these years."

"You too." I returned her hug.

"Emmett and Rose are joining us." She informed. "I hope you don't mind, Jasper and I had already made dinner plans with them and I was so excited that I forgot."

"That's fine." I smiled, my mind once again wondering on whether or not she had told Edward.

"I didn't tell Emmett and Rose about you." She sat back down. "I only told Em that I had a surprise."

I glanced back and forth from Jasper to Alice, smiling at how perfect the two of them fit.

"You guys look great." I smiled. "Jasper, I have never seen you outside of work, you wear a suit really well."

"Thank you, Bella." He nodded his head. "You look quite lovely yourself."

"Lovely my ass." Alice took a sip of water. "She looks hot as hell in that little black mini-dress."

Alice's words made me blush as I shook my head at remembering how she used to try and dress me 'hot" for Edward that summer we courted.

"And still very shy." She added with a wink. "I can't wait to tell Edward that you're here."

I flashed her an even bigger smile, not knowing how to respond to that.

"He was so crazy about you." She traced the rim of her glass with her finger. "You were his first love."

"Puppy love." I corrected her.

"Oh, Bella, love is love." She grinned. "You were the first girl to ever touch his heart and you gave him his very first kiss."

"That was my first kiss too." I reminded her.

"I know." She giggled. "I was there, remember?"

"I have never forgotten it." I briefly shut my eyes, sharply inhaling as the memory played inside my head.

"Alice." A male voice pulled me from my sweet memory.

I turned to see a huge, muscular man standing there with Emmett's eyes, dimples and black curly hair.

His mouth fell open as his eyes met mine.

"Bella Swan?" His lips curved up into a smile. "My little bro's kissing partner in crime."

I nodded with a grin, standing to my feet just as Emmett grabbed me into a bear hug.

"Bella, this is my girlfriend, Rosalie Hale." He looked at me, then to her. "Rosie, this is Bella Swan, our little Edward's first love."

The beautiful blonde lady, smiled, offering her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Bella."

I shook her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Rosalie."

Emmett and Rosalie joined us at the table as Emmett kept looking at me with a goofy grin plastered on his face.

"Bella Swan, what the hell have you been up to since I saw you last?" The sharp dressed soon to be doctor faded away as the young boy I remembered replaced him.

"Not too much." I offered.

"Not too much, how in the world did you end up in New York?" He asked.

"You wouldn't believe me, if I told ya." I took a sip of my water.

"Try me?" He challenged.

"Well it all started one day in Tennessee, when I saw a man walking through the mall wearing one of those 'I love New York' t-shirts-" I paused but before I could speak again, Emmett started laughing.

"Wait, you saw a man wearing a 'I love New York' t-shirt and you decided to pack up and move here to see why people love New York?"

"Well kinda." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Let her finish." Alice playfully smacked at her brother's arm. "Please finish your story, Bella."

I finished my story and we continued talking throughout the night, about everything from the summer we had spent together as children to our lives now.

It was so much fun reliving all of those memories with Emmett and Alice and sharing them with Rosalie and Jasper.

Emmett and Rosalie were the first to leave, but Alice, Jasper and I sat and chatted for another twenty minutes or so.

"Bella." Alice looked at me with a smile. "Do you wanna swing by the club and see Edward?"

Her offer, catching me off guard.

I started nervously tapping my fingers on the table as my mind started reeling all of the "what if's", causing my nerves to spike through the roof.

"I don't know, Alice." I answered. "What if Edward doesn't remember me or maybe he doesn't wanna reunite with some old girlfriend from his childhood?"

"Are you kidding me?" Alice rolled her eyes. "Edward talked about you for two years after that camping trip. I hardly think he has forgotten you."

"Yeah but..." I started, but Alice threw up her hand and stopped me.

"What if nothing." She smiled. "It's not like I'm asking you to rekindle the flame or marry the guy. It'll simply be two childhood sweethearts reuniting as friends years later." She paused to say something else, but stopped herself.

"I thought Jasper said that Edward's club isn't open to the public yet." I put forth.

"It's not." She took one last sip of her drink, standing to her feet. "But I'm not the public, I'm family and I know that's where he is. He spends his days working at his job and his evenings at the nightclub, making sure everything is going according to plan."

The next thing I knew, Jasper, Alice and I were in a cab heading across town to Edward's new nightclub.

Alice made a quick call to Esme to inform her of our plans when they both agreed that the twins would spend the night with their grandparents.

She also filled me in on Edward's love life over the years. With every name that she mentioned, a small amount of jealousy ripped through me. It was so stupid of me to feel that way, it wasn't like he was my boyfriend or even my friend, I had no claims on Edward Cullen.

"He broke up with his last girlfriend, Tanya, about what, Jasper?" She quickly looked over at Jasper before answering her own question. "I think it was five, maybe six months ago."

"What happened?" I asked, only in making conversation.

"She was too controlling." Alice told me. "She not only tried to control Edward, but everything around him, like the nightclub."

"Wow." I simply stated.

"She wanted him to name the club Tanya's place." Alice snorted. "As if he'd ever..."

"What is he going to call the club?" I changed the subject.

"Total Eclipse." She smiled. "I helped in naming it."

"I voted for Nightlife at The Crossroads." Jasper interjected.

"Yeah, I know." She patted his leg. "But that name lost in the voting." She shot him a quick frown.

"When does he plan on opening the club?" I asked.

"He's hoping to have the club in full swing by this summer." She sighed. "But this being April, already, I don't know if it'll happen or not."

The cab pulled over and my heart started pounding like a drum as my nerves where now working overtime.

I couldn't believe that I was finally going to see Edward Cullen after all of these years.

_What do I say? _

_What will he say? _

Plus those million "what if's" echoing behind every thought. _  
_

Mixtures of both fear and excitement were fuming inside of me.

The outside of the building looked like any other New York building, bricked.

It sat on the corner of the street, right at the crossroads, which made the name Jasper mentioned, make perfect sense.

As we walked over, Alice explained to me how Edward was planning to fix up the outside, once the inside was finished.

We made it all the way to the door when I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Come on, Bella." Alice reached for my hand. "Don't be so nervous, he'll be thrilled to see you."

"Alice, it's been years." I took a small step forward.

"Ten years is not that long, trust me, Bella, he hasn't forgotten you." She pulled me inside.

_Was she kidding? Ten years is a lifetime, to me._

I looked around the club. It was nothing like I had imagined. When they said nightclub, I expected, bright purples, pinks and other neon colors, I suppose.

The place was huge and although a few places throughout the building still appeared to be under construction, it looked almost finished to me.

The bar rested along a mirrored wall on the right, where a man stood packing up a tool box.

"Hello, Mark." Alice greeted him. "This is Bella Swan." She looked at me then back to him.

"Hello, Bella Swan, it's nice to meet you." His smile was warm and kind.

"It's nice to meet you." I returned the man's smile.

As we walked further inside, the only sound was the sound of mine and Alice's heels clicking on the shiny, wooden floors.

Lots of black, red and darker colored wood throughout the entire place. A long, red leather bench stretched across the whole left side of the wall, breaking only once, in the middle, to allow access to the bathrooms.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Alice smiled.

"It's beautiful," I replied.

Clearly Edward had thought long and hard in designing his nightclub.

We walked toward the back were the dance area was located. It had two steps down and the entire dance floor was black and white checkered.

"Check this out." Alice chimed, walking back over to the bar and flipping a switch.

Suddenly rays of colorful lights started brightly dancing around the entire back of the club.

She flipped the switch again, turning it off and then walked toward a steel, black door on the further side of the bar, which had a golden plate that read, "_E._ _Cullen._"

Jasper and I sat down on the stools while Mark and Jasper shared small talk and my stomach starting feeling utterly weak.

Seeing a movement outta the corner of my eye, I saw Alice coming over to rejoin us... without Edward.

"Mark, where's Edward?"

"He's not in his office?"

"Nope," Alice answered.

My heart skipped a beat when Alice informed us that Edward wasn't in his office.

"Try out back," Mark replied.

"Mark, I'm going for a walk, lock up." A man's husky voice entered as footsteps echoed throughout the club, causing us all to turn.

Standing there with his brownish locks sticking out every which way, just like when he was younger, he was, without a doubt, the sexiest man I had ever laid my eyes on in his stone-washed jeans with a black, button down dress shirt, opened all the way to his broad chest.

His eyes were brighter than I remembered, his eyelashes even longer, making his mesmerizing green eyes stand out all the more.

He had a hint of stubble on his face that suited him perfectly.

He most definitely didn't lose his good looks, if anything, he was even more good looking.

"Bella?"

"Yeah," I shyly responded.

"What..." His voice trailed off as a smile tugged at his full lips.

"You didn't leave a contact number." I shrugged.

A full smile now in full play on his lips, and so very contagious, I couldn't help but to brightly smile as I stood just as he opened his arms.

All of those old feelings came flooding back and a lot stronger than before. In a way it felt as if we were still those same two youngsters that were crazy over one another years ago.

So warm, so familiar, being in Edward's arms was the most amazing feeling in this world.

We stood embraced for a long while and I could have stayed lost in that moment forever.

Tilting his head back, he looked down at me. "You're really here. This is really happening."

"I am." It was taking everything inside of me to hold back the tears.

"I was just about to step out for some fresh air, join me?" he asked as I nodded.

After saying our goodbyes to the others, Edward and I stepped out.

"I still can't believe you're here." Edward broke the silence between us as we strolled down the streets. "How did you ever end up in New York?"

"It's a long story."

"I'm sure I can keep up." He smiled, slightly shaking his head. "I notice that you're not wearing a ring."

"Oh, yeah." I held out my left hand. "The diamond is just so big, ya know?"

Edward's eyes went wide and I couldn't help but to laugh. "There's no ring. I'm joking."

"You had me..." He joined me in laughing. "So, do you live here or are you only in town for a while?"

"I live here now," I answered. "I work with Jasper. "

"With Jasper?" Edward questioned.

"Construction Manager," I clarified.

"Really?"

The conversation flow with Edward was as easy as breathing. Although ten years had passed, it was as if we were still as close as we once were, or well on way to becoming as close as we once were.

I shared the lame story as to how I landed myself in New York and Edward shared as to how he came about being the owner of the new nightclub.

After showing me his favorite coffee house, Edward and I strolled the streets of New York as he showed me a few other of his favorite places.

"Is this okay?" he shyly asked as he reached for my hand.

With a huge grin, I nodded, allowing him to take my hand as we entwined our fingers.

I suddenly remembered how wonderful it felt holding his hand as a thirteen-year-old girl, how proud I was to display to the world - well the campsite -that Edward was my boyfriend.

"I wanna show you something." Edward's eyes met mine before he hailed a cab and told the driver to take us to the Harlem river.

Once we were there, I noted how absolutely enchanting the night view was.

"I love coming here," Edward told me as we walked near the water's edge. "I've made a lot of important decisions here." He then stooped down, snatching a small rock and aimlessly throwing it into the river. "I love the night view."

The full moon displayed in the clear sky provided the perfect amount of lighting, while the city itself was full of wonderful colors that reflected happily upon the water; nothing less than amazing.

I stood in silence as I watched Edward desultorily stare out over the glossy black waters with his hands tucked into his pockets.

Had I not known the kind, warm spirit inside of this man, I would have almost been intimidated by just how handsome he really was.

"The view is gorgeous," I interrupted the silence.

"Yes, it is." Edward's brilliant eyes found mine and something told me that we neither were no longer speaking of the river.

I smiled as I bent over, grabbing a small flat rock myself and then walking over to stand beside of him. "Like this, you have to put a little speed on it."

I tossed the rock with a spin as it skipped several times before sinking.

With the most perfect crooked grin, Edward turned to face me. "I taught you that."

"You did." I was finding it harder and harder to look away from those glistening eyes.

With a heart beating like a drum and a young Bella and Edward playing in my head, I stepped even closer as he curiously watched my every move.

"You're so amazing, I saw it when I was young girl and I see it even now."

"Is that so?" He playfully chuckled.

"Yeah, that's so." Everything about him was drawing me to him. "I never forgot you, Edward."

Reaching up, he gingerly ran the pad of his thumb across my cheek. "I couldn't have forgotten you, even if I tried."

Gradually, he brought his face within inches of mine. Sweetly and tenderly, his lips touched mine, rendering my pulse to quicken.

Closing my eyes, I slowly moved my lips in sync with his, so perfect, so familiar and with so much passion, it was almost more than I could take.

Strong feelings from the past were resurrected as the the intimacy our kiss took us to the point of no return.

Pulling away, Edward leaned his forehead against mine, panting for breath.

_How will I ever resist. . . _Before the thought could even form inside my mind, his lips were back on mine, only this time more urgent as his hungry lips devoured mine.

If ever there was a doubt inside of me that Edward wasn't feeling the same feelings, they vanished with that kiss.

"Do you feel that?" He, once again, left my lips stinging and longing for his.

"Feel what?" I tightened my hold on his shirt. "That every feeling that I ever had for you as a thirteen-year-old girl has returned, only these feelings are stronger, deeper?"

"It's like time has stood still and everything that has happened to us over the past ten years doesn't even feel real anymore."

"Come with me?" I asked.

"Where?"

"My place isn't far from here."

We hailed a cab and spent much of the ride back to my place lost in one kiss after another.

The adrenaline of my heart in full swing each time his lips touched mine, rendering me breathless and longing for more.

It felt incredible to be back in his arms, the taste of his lips, the feeling of passion each time his tongue swept over my own.

_I could spend the rest of my life lost in just a kiss with this man. _

Once we were inside of my apartment, we wasted no time finding our way back into one another's arms and lavished in yet another kiss.

Snaking his arms around my waist, Edward held my gaze as he starting unzipping my dress.

The moment was perfect, spontaneous and nothing in my life had ever felt more right.

His soft lips ran along my jaw, making their way to my ear then to my collarbone, reminding me that were no longer the same two kids that had fallen in love so many years ago, but rather all grown up and with a greater need.

Something inside of me shifted? Changed? My heart had never felt more at home as it did while in the presence of Edward.

I allowed the dress to slip over my shoulders and down my arms as it crumbled at my feet.

Stepping back, with eyes full of desire, Edward stared over my body while I unbuttoned his shirt that soon joined my dress on the floor.

Dropping to his knees, Edward pulled me closer, placing small open-mouthed kisses along my abdomen as I hugged him to me, running my fingers through his already disheveled hair.

With my neck and back arched, I stepped out my heels and knelled down with him as I took either side of his face into my hands and then placing my lips back to his.

Consumed in pleasure, it felt as if my blood was scorching through my veins when he softly traced my lips with his finger.

"I love kissing you, Bella Swan," he rasped reminding me so much of his boyish-smile that I had packed inside my heart for so many years.

"I love kissing you, Edward Cullen." My eyes met his burning gaze.

_**. . .**_

When the morning sun broke through the window, it found us wrapped in one another's arms, with my hair sprawled over Edward's chest and a huge smile on my lips.

_He made my first time just as special as my first kiss. _

Maybe it wasn't so much as a thirst for adventure that had brought me to New York after all, perhaps it was fate or even my heart trying to find it's way back to the green-eyed boy that stole it so many years ago.

Either way, one thing was for sure, Edward Cullen made many firsts very special for me.

One year after being reunited with Edward, he took me on a romantic carriage ride where it ended on the shores of the Harlem River where he asked for my hand in marriage.

Two years after becoming Edward's wife, I gave birth to our first daughter, Renesmee Cullen. Not long after her arrival, I gave birth to our son, Edward Jacob, who we call E.J. And after E.J turned five, along came our third and final child, Bree, short for Brianna, whom we adopted at birth.

Over the years, Edward and I shared many kisses, each one just as special as the one before, but none comparing to that day on the Tennessee riverbanks where he forever captured my heart.

And that was exactly why, every summer Edward and I slipped away from the busy streets and hectic life of New York and spent our entire summers camping in Tennessee.

_** . . .**_

"Like this." I stood in silence on the well-beaten path that led to the riverbank, as I watched the handsome gray-haired man show his grandson how to skip a rock across the water.

I couldn't help but to smile as memories of butterflies, popsicle kisses and bright green eyes flooded my mind.

"Hi, Nana." Little Charlie, my first grandson, pattered over toward me, greeting me with a hug.

"Hey, Charlie." I smiled down into his bright-green eyes, just like his grandpa's.

"Hey you." Edward walked over, joining us and after all these years, I found myself lost in his eyes.

Gingerly running the pad of his thumb over my cheek, he smiled, before placing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.

Without a word, we stood gazing, each remembering and well knowing what the other was thinking.

"I love kissing you, Bella Cullen." Adoringly, he laced our fingers together as we, hand in hand, walked with our grandson back toward the campsite.

The End.

* * *

**A/N**

A very special thank you to a lady named Debbie... If not for Debbie, I wouldn't have been able to reedit or repost this One Shot. So thank you Debbie :)

I would also like to thank everyone over at the Cheese Shop Group, for nominating _First Kiss_ back in 2012. This story won best One Shot in 2012 and it was a great honor, so thanks again to those that nominated this story, those that read and those that voted.

Thank you to the proofreaders of this story, which include the lovelies in my Red Room of Treasures... these ladies are my best friends and I love them more than anything. Will they ever know how much I truly do treasure each and every one of them?

Thank you to the every reader, you guys always make writing here at Fan Fiction more pleasurable and a lot more fun!

Until Next Time,

xo

Minerva


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